What do I need to know or be able to do before taking this course? The course builds on the ‘How Science Works’ skills acquired at GCSE. Students during the course will need to be able to communicate effectively in exam questions, for fieldwork and from their practical work during the course, as well as research information from a variety of sources, therefore a good grade in GCSE English is essential.During parts of the course students will be expected to handle and interpret data. What will I learn on this course? • Develop greater understanding of biological facts together with an appreciation of their significance in new and changing situations • Develop greater expertise in the area of practical work and the link between theory and experimental work • Continue to enjoy and further develop a personal interest in the study of living organisms • The recognition of the responsible use of Biology in society • Develop further the awareness of developments in Biology in the changing world into the new millennium. What kind of student is this course suitable for? • Have a real interest in and enjoyment of, Biology • Have an interest in the study of living organisms • Enjoy carrying out investigations in the laboratory or as fieldwork • Interested in the developments of newBiology topics such as genetic engineering and the impact on society • Want to use Biology to support other qualifications such as Geography, Food Technology etc How can I develop my full range of skills by doing this course? As well as covering Advanced Level study of Biology this course will enable you to develop some key skills, which will be essential to you whatever you go on to do afterwards. Examples of the key skills you can develop during this course are Communication • Taking part in discussions on issues such as pollution • Preparing written documents for your practical work • Using reference materials from books, CD-ROM and the Internet Application of number • Planning to collect results from experiments and presenting them in a suitable format • Carrying out calculations on the data collected in experiments • Interpreting the results from experiments and seeing how this relates to your plan Information technology • Using word processing software to present written reports and prepare presentations • Plan and design a spreadsheet to support your experiments, be able to select a suitable graphical format to show trends and patterns in your data Problem solving • Planning an ecological investigation to look at the distribution of plants and animals on the seashore • Trying out different techniques to extract pigments from plant tissues Working with others • In planning an investigation in a woodland study to involve all members of the group • Presentation of a poster to explain the findings from a survey on local conservation issues Improving own learning and performance • Working out a timetable with targets to improve your practical skills • Monitoring the marks awarded for written reports What could I go on to do at the end of my course? • Follow a degree course in Biology, Environmental Science, Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Psychology orPharmacy. These are a small selection of courses with direct links. UCAS handbooks will give you further guidance • Enter a Higher National Course in Biological Science and related programmes • Employment in the area of Pharmacy, Biotechnology, Catering and Land Management as possible examples